Healthy Chocolate Cookies (vegan & gluten free)

Who knew healthy chocolate cookies could taste this good?! These easy cookies are a fudgy chocolate-peanut butter dream, high in protein, low sugar (naturally sweetened with banana), and one bowl. We use 6 simple ingredients that can be found in your pantry, so the next time you get a craving for peanut butter and chocolate, you'll be ready to bake them in just 15 minutes!

*This is a new & improved cookie recipe. I added dark chocolate chips and adjusted the ratio of ingredients to give the cookies a richer flavor and chewier texture.

This low-sugar chocolate cookie recipe is a new favorite of mine. By adding cocoa powder to mashed bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, you get soft and chewy cookies that are subtly sweet, rich, and nutty.

And because they are naturally sweetened, they are kid-friendly, healthy (vegan & gluten-free), and a great satisfying breakfast, snack, or dessert option.

They're similar to my banana peanut butter cookies and ready in just 15 minutes!

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why These Healthy Chocolate Cookies are the Best
• 🍌 Notes on Healthy Cookie Ingredients
• 🥥 Cookie Variations and Substitutions
• 🥄 How to Make Healthy Cookies
• ⏲ Expert Tips
• 👩🏼‍🍳 How to Freeze Cookie Dough
• 🍪 More Vegan Cookie Recipes
• Healthy Chocolate Cookies Recipe

⭐️ Why These Healthy Chocolate Cookies are the Best

• Slightly sweet, salty, chocolatey, nutty, fudgy, and so addictive!
• Healthy cookies that are low in sugar, flour-less, gluten-free, high in protein, vegan, and low calorie
• Quick & easy one bowl cookie recipe with just 6 simple ingredients and ready in 15 minutes
• Freezer-friendly cookies that can be made ahead of time

🍌 Notes on Healthy Cookie Ingredients

• Bananas - Be sure to use ripe bananas for this recipe. Once they develop spots, they are ripe enough to use. The more they ripen, the sweeter they become, so you can decide how sweet you want your cookies to be. If you have more ripe bananas to use up, try my banana oatmeal pancakes or dairy free smoothie.
• Natural peanut butter - This recipe calls for all-natural peanut butter that is unsweetened. Using sweetened peanut butter will make your cookies much sweeter and not as healthy.
• Unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder - It gives your cookies a more intense chocolate flavor without any extra calories or sugar.
• Flaky sea salt (optional) - Adding this is totally optional, but the flaky salt adds a nice crunchy contrast to the sweetened cookies.

🥥 Cookie Variations and Substitutions

• Mix-ins. Add ¼ cup of your favorite mix-ins, like dried cranberries, coconut flakes, or chopped nuts.
• Spice. Add ½ teaspoon of your favorite spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice would be delicious in these cookies.
• Old-fashioned oats. Add ½ cup of old-fashioned oats for a heartier and more substantial cookie.
• For peanut allergies: Substitute almond butter or cashew butter.
• For sweeter cookies: In general, the riper your bananas are, the sweeter your cookies will be. That said, you can make them even sweeter by adding 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.
• Make nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of the peanut butter.

🥄 How to Make Healthy Cookies

*See recipe card below for a printable version.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place mashed bananas in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Using a rubber spatula, mix until well incorporated.

Stir in dark chocolate chips.

Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie batter onto lined baking sheet. Wet your hands with a little bit of water and press down lightly on the cookies. This will help them spread more. Sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt (if using).

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely. I like to place my cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they get fudgier before eating them. They can be refrigerated up to 5 days or stored in the freezer.

⏲ Expert Tips

• Storage Instructions: Place cookies in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Press cookies before baking. Since we don't use any butter, the cookies don't spread very much. So, be sure to press lightly on the cookies before baking to help them spread.
• Chill cookies. Although you can eat your cookies shortly after taking them out of the oven, I prefer to eat them after they have chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The cookies develop a thick, fudgy texture that I love!

👩🏼‍🍳 How to Freeze Cookie Dough

To freeze cookie dough: Portion cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can bake cookies directly from the freezer, but you'll need to add 2-3 minutes to baking time.

To freeze baked cookies: After your cookies are completely cooled, place your baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, allowing cookies to harden. Remove cookies from the freezer and transfer them to a freezer bag.

Your cookies can be stored in for up to 3 months in the freezer. And because these are soft cookies, they are delicious directly from the freezer!

🍪 More Vegan Cookie Recipes

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